Disability Wales welcomes the strong and considered response from the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee to our letter raising urgent concerns about the UK Government’s proposed cuts to disability benefits.
In their reply to us, the Chair acknowledged that whilst welfare is a reserved matter, the Committee felt compelled to act due to the “significant impact on individuals and families in Wales.”
Importantly, the Committee has written directly to the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, highlighting deep concerns about the reform’s timetable, disproportionate impact on Wales, and the failure to address entrenched employment barriers for disabled people.
Their message is clear:
“It is for the DWP, employers and others to get their own house in order” before any reform is implemented.
This echoes what Disability Wales has long argued: support structures and workplace discrimination must be addressed before changing the benefits system. The Committee’s latest report, ‘Anything’s Achievable with the Right Support’, provides compelling evidence that the system is failing to meet disabled people’s needs, and that urgent change is required at every level.
We thank the Committee for standing alongside disabled people in Wales, and for turning our concerns into political action. We now urge the UK Government to listen, act, and ensure that disabled people are at the heart of policy-making, not sidelined by it.
